By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
With the Lakers overtaking the Mavericks midway through the 4th, Anthony Davis split a pair of free throws with 6.7 seconds to play, leaving Dallas one final chance. They advanced the ball to the front court, with everyone well aware Kyrie Irving was on a heater: 38 points on 14-for-23 shooting with five 3-pointers. The inbounds connected, and Irving was bottled up in a trap by Kenyan Gabriel and Dennis Schroder … only to find the opening for a two-hand pass to a wide-open Maxi Kleber.
“I think I never had a game-winner like that before,” said Kleber post-game.
“Obviously, it feels amazing. My entire team was hyped for me. That felt pretty special. It is 100% one of my favorite moments, I got to rewatch it now.”
Kyrie Irving made the crucial pass.
“When he passed it, I knew I had to just quick-fire it. It was a pretty amazing feeling. Once I let it go, I saw the ball in the air, and I was like, ‘Oh, damn, it has a chance to go in.’ All of a sudden it went in, and the next thing I knew, the whole team was running at me. It was a pretty cool experience.”
“Knowing Ky, he wanted to go for the win,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said about the final play. “With the double team, he had to give the ball up. That’s just trust with his teammates, and Maxi was at the right place at the right time.”
With the win, the Mavs avoided falling into a three-way tie with the Lakers and the Timberwolves in the Western Conference. At 36-35, they are sixth in the standings. The Lakers are in 10th at 34-37.
Irving, who scored 13 in the final quarter, shot 14-of-23 from the field, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range. He added six rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes.
The Mavs were without Luka Doncic for the fourth straight game because of a left hamstring injury.